Dear HSS Students and Parents,

The New Year began in a completely unexpected way, causing severe disruptions for the society, for our University, and for each of you. This new year holiday will undoubtedly be the most unique new year we will ever have in our life time! At this extaordinary occasion, on behalf of the School of Humanities and Social Science, I wish every student and your parents to be safe and healthy!

Because of the epidemic, the University has announced the postponement of school start after the New Year holidays, and the University is scheduled to start online teaching on February 17. At the same time, the University is actively discussing about possible measures to deal with the impact of the epidemic on the future arrangements of our students (such as on-time graduation, international exchange studies, etc.).  The University is totally committed to our students, and we will leave no stones unturned in having our students as our greatest priority, and in making the best arrangements allowed under the situation for the interests of the students.

Our University will start online teaching on February 17. Our teachers will do their best to help students learn in this new teaching/learning environment. Implementing comprehensive online teaching is a completely new endeavor for the University, as well as for the society at large. This effort and the implementation are likely to encounter considerable difficulties and challenges. Our teachers are engaged in training for online teaching, in order to provide effective online teaching. It is expected that in the process of online teaching that will start soon, various problems and difficulties may pop up. While encountering the possible problems and difficulties, let's deal with them with great efforts, with our 

full understanding for the inevitability of such difficulties, and with our extraordinary patience.  Let's strive together to make our teaching and learning a success in this extraordinary situation!

Many of us have been somewhat alone during this New Year holiday.  We may be alone, but we are not lonely. You have your parents around you, and you have your friends and classmates just a 'click' away.  I hope that you can make good use of this extraordinary period of time, spending more time with your parents and chatting with them on many things of interest. You will soon find out that such opportunities will become a luxury soon in the future. You may also take advantage of this extraordinary time by reading some books that you usually could not find time to read, so as to enrich your time alone.

The development of the epidemic has indeed been extremely unexpected and disruptive. At this extraordinary time, you need to filter the bombardment of information by thinking scientifically. Please do not believe or spread unfounded rumors. Let's fully and actively follow Government's policies and regulations, and start with our own behaviors (such as not going out, not to be in any crowd gathering) in contributing to overcoming the epidemic.

The difficult situation now will be temporary, and it will become a thing of the past soon. Look ahead, and we see the dawning of the bright future! I eagerly look forward to seeing all of you again soon on the campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen!

Xitao Fan

Dean, School of Humanities and Social Science

The Chinese university of Hong Kong, Shenzhen